Parksville council has been updated on the city's response to the recent heatwave, including changes brought on by the new Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA).
The municipal governments of Parksville, Qualicum Beach and the Regional District of Nanaimo work together to deliver emergency services on a regional level, chief administrative officer Keeva Kehler said during council's July 15 meeting.
“I am very happy with how things went this recent couple of weeks," she said. "And we’ve benefited quite well I think from having Kate [Pocock] as our EPC [emergency program co-ordinator], connecting folks and sharing her knowledge and guiding people through that process."
There is no regulation for an extreme heat event, but the guidance is two consecutive days above 29 degrees Celsius, with night-time temperatures above 16 C, Kehler said. A provincial declaration triggers a response.
The city reached out to different social services groups and asked what resources they might need.
“We were able to get funding for a host of response, including outreach, some supplies like misters, cooling towels, electrolytes, bottled water, those types of things," Kehler said.
Cooling locations were also set up. Every public library in B.C. is designated as a community warming or cooling space during operating hours.
The Parksville Civic and Technology Centre was also designated as a cooling space and its hours were temporarily extended until 7 p.m., Kehler said.
Parksville is also fortunate to have many outdoor options for cooling off, she added, such as the beach, the Englishman River, parks and the spray park.
“It’s excellent to know that there is a solution that we can go ahead and have a plan," said Coun. Sylvia Martin. "And be organized and support our community organizations, in whatever way we can because I feel that’s a responsibility of us."
The province identifies several groups as being especially vulnerable to extreme heat if they do not have access to air conditioning, including people who are marginally housed.
Kehler said one common question is “why is the city not doing something about homelessness?”
“There’s a lot of confusion, I think, out in the community and sometimes even within the social service agencies over who should be doing what," she said, adding social services are provincial responsibility. Municipalities generally do not tax for additional social services, although some larger centres have felt the need to do so.
“In Oceanside, we do not have that as a social service,” she said. “We don’t voluntarily take that on and spend local taxpayer money on that service.”
Kehler said that the city does not want to duplicate a responsibility of a senior level of government.
The main role of the city in a hot or cold extreme weather event is to trigger funding and funnel it to emergency providers, Kehler said.
Local governments also managing issues related permitting and land use regulations such as occupancy and fire safety.
The city may also provide grants and tax exemptions to social services when they are warranted, she added.
Kehler said co-ordinating in advance with service providers has been working well.
“Strangely, if you open an emergency shelter, the bedding and cots and things are not covered," she said. "So you have time find some other way to fund that. Knowing that in advance is really helpful.”
With colder weather approaching, the Oceanside Task Force on Homelessness has a draft plan for winter and will meet with city staff in September, Kehler said.
